Press

The 2025 Housing Forward Proposals brought forward by the Mayor and several Alders are needed, incremental changes to housing policy that put Madison closer towards being a Housing-Ready City. We hope Alders will work to pass these reforms and continue to seek out opportunities to make it easier for neighborhoods to build incremental housing.

The three proposals align with three of Strong Town’s six housing ready policies.

1. Allow single-family home conversion to duplex, by right.

By allowing duplex or twin homes on most residential lots in Madison, we make it possible to get to the next increment of development in thousands of homes. Per the City, an additional 32,000 homes are now eligible for duplexes making it easier for neighborhoods to evolve as local needs change.

3. Legalize starter homes in all residential zones.

Introducing the ability to split deep, large lots into “flag lots” can help introduce starter homes into previously developed areas. For home owners with extra yard space and an interest in generating more value from their property, they can now split the lot and add a new home to rent or sell. By waiving Plan Commission approval if it meets all zoning requirements, it also streamlines the development process, reducing costs and increasing feasibility for potential developers.

6. Streamline the approval process.

Raising the threshold for “Conditional Use” permitting approval of small and medium sized housing developments in the Downtown Core and dense zoning districts helps bring certainty to developers of these projects while maintaining flexibility over larger projects. These areas are already designed for more dense buildings and by making more buildings eligible via “permitted use” (still following City guidelines) is a great way to speed up the approval process.

To become a fully Housing-Ready City, there are two more policies Madison can work to reform:

4. Eliminate minimum lot size requirements in existing neighborhoods. 

5. Repeal parking mandates for housing. Read our thoughts here.

Madison has already achieved the second housing ready policy: permit backyard cottages in all residential areas. 

It is inspiring to see a Mayor and so many Alders rise to the challenge of housing in Madison. When so many facets of the housing issue are out of municipal control, it’s even more critical to remove barriers at the local level. We look forward to seeing future policies that work to fully achieve these six listed policies.